


all of us are meant for the fire (but we keep rising up)

by transtommyoliver



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boats and Ships, Breaking and Entering, Characterization for the Whalers bc I Love Them, Dishonored 2, F/F, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Forgiveness, Low Chaos (Dishonored), M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Daud (Dishonored), Pre to Established Relationship, Rating May Change, Royal Spymaster Daud (Dishonored), Tags May Change, Trust, certain things fr canon dont happen here bc canon makes me cry hnngh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-11 20:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15324006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transtommyoliver/pseuds/transtommyoliver
Summary: Emily decides that Daud would make a good Royal Spymaster, Corvo agrees, and Daud ends up in Dunwall again. Things finally seem to be looking up for Dunwall for fifteen or so years. Until they don't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: http://chenkin-nuggets.tumblr.com/
> 
> LOL OKAY FIRST OF ALL: i got the idea for Royal Spymaster Daud when i was reading like.....five different dishonored fanfics and playing dishonored 2 with my cousin. "Royal Spymaster Daud is such a good concept why dont more ppl write it!!!!" I thought, only to realize that if i wanted more, I had to write it myself. so this **self-indulgent mess** became reality
> 
> ALSO THIS FIRST CHAPTER IS ENTIRELY EXPOSITION PROBS SO JUST A FAIR BIT OF WARNING?

Corvo seeks Daud out. He goes through the Flooded District, searching for anyone who might know where he had gone. The Whalers are still there, but they’ve moved from their initial base of operations and they’ve scattered with the disappearance of Daud. When Corvo approaches, they’re predictably tense but grant his request to speak with whoever’s in charge. That person is in fact Thomas.

Corvo recognizes the man, remembers him from when he was captured by Daud. This time, however, Thomas removes the mask- something rare among the Whalers. It meant there would be no secrets. So Corvo asks him questions about the Whalers, about where Daud is, and Thomas provides as many answers as he can. “The last I heard, he wasn’t in Dunwall anymore,” Thomas says, a frown on his face. “The place he most likely would be is Serkonos. That’s where he was born after all.” Corvo’s eyes turn dark at the mention of Serkonos. It was his home- before Dunwall, before Jessamine. He stands quickly. He needs to depart immediately if he didn’t want this trail to go cold. Thomas blinks as he watches Corvo get up from his seat. “If I may ask, Royal Protector,” he starts, getting up as well.

Corvo stops and looks at him, waiting. “Why are you seeking him out? Hasn’t he done enough to atone?”

And Corvo thinks for a moment. He’s been told of what Daud had done, bringing down the Brigmore Witches, preventing them from taking over Emily’s body. Right, Corvo thinks. Masks off.

“Emily wants him to be her new Royal Spymaster,” Corvo simply tells him. Thomas looks shocked, before nodding. In a flash, Corvo is gone from the room.

Later that night, Emily cries into Corvo’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to go to Serkonos,” she whispers, but Corvo has no choice. He needs to find Daud.

The search is as difficult as it should be, with Corvo trying to track down not just an assassin, but the Knife of Dunwall. If Daud didn’t want to be found, then he wouldn’t be. The Outsider doesn’t interfere at all during Corvo’s attempts to find Daud, and Corvo entertains the thought that the Outsider wants nothing to do with him. The Outsider may have found him fascinating three years ago, but acting as the Royal Protector was rather mundane compared to what he’s done to bring Emily into power during Burrows’ try at being Lord Regent.

It’s when Corvo finds himself being accosted by a group of witches that Daud appears, not dressed in the iconic reds but as plainly and inconspicuously as he possibly could. Once the witches have either fled or been killed, Daud grabs Corvo by the collar and they Blink to a secluded area away from prying eyes. There’s a knife at Corvo’s throat, and angry, glaring eyes matched with a scar right in front of him. “Daud,” Corvo growls out, one of his hands gripping the wrist of the hand holding the knife.

“Attano,” Daud responds.

-

Corvo returns with the Knife of Dunwall. Emily awaits them quietly, Callista standing close behind her as she watches the skiff come into view. There is Corvo, and then there is Daud, hair greying and face blank. He doesn’t want to think of what he’s done, Emily thinks.

But ultimately he knows what he did, to her, to Corvo. To Jessamine. Emily walks down to meet them, back straight, prepared to see Daud face to face for the first time in years. Callista is still wary, not knowing how Emily is going to react. She promised Corvo to try and hold her back in case of anything, but Emily is unpredictable in these kinds of circumstances. She’s learned control from the best, but Daud is a variable they did not expect to come up. Even if Emily wants the man to be her new Royal Spymaster, she could only trust him to do his job- not anything else.

-

Daud steels himself for his meeting with the young Empress. It’s been three years since she took the throne, and Daud would be lying if he didn’t think of throwing himself to her feet and letting her punish him for what he’d done to her mother. But then what was the point of Corvo letting him go? He had the opposite to leave Dunwall, start anew, and he took it.

He looks out at the tower and sees her watching them. She’d be only thirteen about now, wearing her signature white clothing. She’s definitely gotten taller. She’d have her father’s height soon. The skiff stops, and Corvo is reaching to help him up. The guards put Daud in shackles before letting him on the boat to the tower. Just in case, they said, while Curnow rolled his eyes behind them. Daud could easily get out of the shackles, but he lets the guard feel powerful for now- at least until Emily formally offers the position of Royal Spymaster to him. Corvo told him about what she planned when they met back in Karnaca, and it surprised him, but he went along anyway.

Daud would never have accepted if only the guilt weren’t eating away at him. He knew he had to make everything up to the Empress somehow, but he wasn’t sure what course of action he should take. As far as he knew, Delilah was gone and the Brigmore Witches had been booted out of that manor of theirs by Slackjaw.

Daud sighs when the boat stops, and Corvo pulls him up. They walk up to the gazebo and Daud remembers the day he killed Jessamine Kaldwin very clearly. He tries to shake away the memory as they close in on Emily, standing with Callista. He and Corvo stand side by side while Emily stands still, examining him, waiting for something. She breathes in slowly. “Daud,” she says. He kneels before her, and Emily’s breath catches in her throat. Corvo’s eyes are on him. “Will you take on the role as my Royal Spymaster?”

Corvo and Callista stare, Emily waits for his response. Daud looks down at the ground where he spilled royal blood. He shuts his eyes.

“Yes.”

-

Emily is fourteen when she and Daud seem to have an unspoken agreement. She would let him do his job in peace, in exchange that he never speak with her about her mother. Somehow they’d grow to trust each other, but for now, that trust is strictly professional. Daud has been Royal Spymaster for a year before Corvo approaches him with some information concerning some of his former Whalers. “They’re in custody of the City Watch,” he tells him. “Curnow felt that you’d want to speak with them privately.” There’s a suggestion on the tip of Corvo’s tongue, and Daud raises an eyebrow. “And possibly put them into your service. Now that you’re Spymaster you will need eyes and ears all over the city.” Daud hums in response. It would definitely be helpful. The Watch wasn’t all too helpful in gathering information.

“I’ll consider it,” Daud says.

He does, in fact, consider it. He eventually makes his way to where his former Whalers are, and they’re ecstatic when they see him. Daud smirks when they clamber to the bars, excited to see their former boss- more like their father figure- alive and well. Thomas is among those there, and his eyes widen when he sees Daud in the flesh. “You’re alive,” he blurts out. “We’ve heard rumors that you were back in Dunwall but-- as the Royal Spymaster?” Thomas tilts his head to the side, a grin on his face. “We couldn’t even believe it, but now you’re here--” Thomas’s eyes sparkle almost knowingly, and he waits for Daud to speak. Daud rolls his eyes, more amused than annoyed, and finally tells the Whalers, “Would you be willing to work with me again? Even if it is for the Empress?”

Thomas nods, and the other former Whalers agree to join him as well.

Daud calls for their release as soon as possible.

-

Corvo grows used to Daud’s presence in the Tower faster than Emily does, and he couldn’t blame her for that. She’s kept her interactions with Daud strictly professional, and he’s also done the same. He figures that if the man is going to spend his life as the Royal Spymaster, he might as well learn more about him. Corvo spends his free time speaking with Daud, trying to understand him. He’s sure Daud knows that, but he lets it happen anyways. Corvo may or may not have forgiven Daud for what he’d done yet, but that was fine by him. He just wants to be able to trust the man to not betray them.

Corvo visits Daud often enough that Daud keeps some alcohol and glasses in the room.

They talk like old friends, like they’re only just catching up with what the other has been doing during the last few years. Often, they talk to each other throughout the night, until the day breaks.

Their talks usually include whatever stories Daud has about the Whalers, or Corvo’s life before he came to Dunwall. Sometimes, Daud would discuss some of the reports. Most of the time the reports mention some sort of ridiculous rumor, varying from Emily being a clone to Daud being a double agent for the Serkonan government. They both laughed at that. If Daud had any real loyalty to anyone, it’d be to Emily and Corvo. “Who would even believe that?” Daud manages to say, out of breath.

“The nobility may be rich, but no one said they had to be smart,” Corvo says, trying to suppress his laughter. Daud’s face is upturned in a smile, and Corvo can’t help but notice it at this moment. Corvo’s face flushes, and he stares for just a bit.

Outsider help him.

-

Emily grows older, and so does Daud and Corvo. As she does, she asks for more training- mostly from Corvo but even then, there are things only Daud can teach her. Corvo admits that even if he did win the Blade Verbena at sixteen, he and Daud are as evenly matched as any two people Marked by the Outsider would be. Daud understands the hesitation Emily has in fighting him; she fears he may actually kill her.

Of course, he wouldn’t. So he resorts to summoning some of his Whalers. Three appear out of thin air, and Emily’s eyes grow large in surprise. The Whalers no longer wear their old uniforms, some of them taking up outfits more befitting their position as agents. When they take to the streets, they wear their old standard garb, but they would have none of that tonight. Daud introduces them as Misha, Rulfio, and Thomas. Thomas is someone both Emily and Corvo recognize. He’s probably the agent they speak with most frequently out of all of them. The three Whalers bow to Emily, who tells them to stop almost immediately. “If you want to learn my techniques,” he says. “These three will gladly help you learn the art of stealth and infiltration. Then, maybe we’ll let you go through the final test.” He smirks, arms crossed, and the three Whalers look at Daud knowingly.

Corvo’s eyes narrow. “What ‘final test’?” he asks suspiciously.

Misha moves to explain before Daud could open his mouth. “In the Whalers, to move up from novice, we had to steal a key from Daud using whatever tactics we had at our disposal. Some of us made it through, and some of us failed.” Misha places their hands on their hips, a proud look on their face. Corvo nods slowly, now understanding that it wouldn’t place Emily in immediate danger. “I will teach Emily personally, and these three will be assisting us throughout the lessons,” Daud tells Corvo and Emily.

They all agree to allow the three Whalers to join in on the lessons if they were needed. Daud snaps his fingers, and all of the Whalers transverse to different parts of the room, each one placing a certain item down- either a sword, an old Whaler mask, or even a coat.

“First lesson, Emily,” Daud says. “Try to get each of the items without getting noticed.”

-

It’s the anniversary of her mother’s death, and Emily sits on the rooftop above her bedroom. It’s isolated, quiet, away from the honorary festivities to remember Jessamine in both life and death. The air next to her shifts and Daud is standing above her, red coat and all. She startles for a second, before realizing it’s just him.

Just Daud, she muses in her head. It was odd how normal his presence is now, but he’s been around for the last few years already. At this point, no one questions why he’s the Royal Spymaster anymore. No one gossips or complains about him or the Whalers. They know better.

“Empress,” he says, looking out over the city of Dunwall. Dunwall always looked better from the Tower, where you could see above the buildings and the factories, lights from the streets shining brightly. “The people are beginning to wonder when you’ll return for your last speech of the night.” The party has begun winding down, with some of the nobility already leaving for the night. Emily brings her knees close to her chest and wraps her arms around them, frowning. The air between them is tense. Emily wants to say something, something about Jessamine, about how Daud ruined her life all those years ago. But Daud probably knows. He’s definitely seen how the nobles look at him every time he shows up to parties alongside Corvo and Emily. Emily and Corvo are aware of how he tries to stay tucked away in his office during the anniversary of Jessamine’s death.

Daud sighs. “I’ll leave and get your father,” he suggests, the Mark on his hand glowing. Emily shakes her head and stands silently.

“Daud,” she says quietly. “Do you remember your mother?” Daud tenses. The question comes out of nowhere but he can only assume why Emily would ask him.

“I do,” he responds.

Emily takes hold of his wrist.

They transverse back inside, and Emily tries not to think too much.

-

On Emily’s eighteenth birthday, the Tower is set up for a large party. Beforehand, Daud tells the Whalers to patrol areas that the Watch can’t get too- rooftops, hidden alleyways, possible entrances. Emily’s birthday needed to go on without incident. Daud gets a good amount of his Whalers to watch the actual party on the ground. They were allowed to dress for the occasion as well, wearing formal suits and dresses as if they were nobles themselves. Daud wears his signature reds to the party, and it’s one of the first times he’s stood out among a group of people. It must be the golden accents, he thinks when Corvo spots him from across the room. “Spymaster,” Corvo greets.

“Bodyguard,” Daud says, amused by the use of their titles. “How’s Emily doing?”

Corvo points to where he was earlier, where Emily is with her friend Alexi Mayhew. The two speak comfortably with each other, and Alexi seems to be keeping an eye on Emily well enough that Corvo could leave her on her own. “I see,” Daud says. A servant passes by with some champagne, and Daud fishes two glasses from them, offering one to Corvo. They drink in silence, listening in on the party and whatever the nobles have to say. Eventually, a noblewoman walks up to them, shy and awkward.

She’s definitely younger than them, and she smooths her dress before speaking. “Royal Protector, Royal Spymaster,” she says, blush starting to creep up her pale face. “I apologize for intruding.”

She doesn’t meet their eyes and puts on a smile. “It’s not a problem at all, ma’am,” Corvo tells her, reassuring. She looks up at them but faces more towards Corvo than Daud. “I-I was just wondering if,” she hesitates, face growing redder. “If Lord Corvo was available for a dance?” Corvo freezes and opens his mouth to reply, and Daud feels a pang of– something in his chest, his jaw clenches. He isn’t sure what that feeling in his chest is, but there’s relief when Corvo refuses.

“I’m sorry, but I’m saving a dance for someone else,” Corvo tells her, eyes sympathetic. The woman looks down at her feet with a frown and nods sadly. She walks away, probably to drink more champagne. As she does, Daud gives Corvo a questioning look. “What was that all about?” He asks.

“Women and men have been asking to be my partner for the final dance of the night,” Corvo offers as an explanation, and Daud nods in understanding. But there’s still something on his mind.

“Out of curiosity,” Daud speaks carefully, “who are you planning on dancing with? Is it Emily?” Corvo smirks and says playfully, “How about you make it to the final dance and you’ll find out?”

Corvo laughs when Daud rolls his eyes, and he disappears into the crowd shortly after- most likely to find Emily and Alexi. Thomas appears not long after Corvo leaves, and Daud realizes it’s been awhile since he’s really looked at Thomas’s face. His dark skin is marked by faint scars, and unlike back in the Flooded District, his bright brown eyes are more noticeable in the lighting of the Tower. “Daud, no threats have arisen, but the end of the party is nearing,” Thomas whispers to him. Daud nods.

“I’ll let Emily know,” Daud says, and Thomas leaves him to find the other Whalers who are roaming around. Daud walks to the main room where Emily is standing near her throne with Alexi and Corvo. Other nobles have gathered too, eager to begin their final round of dancing with their partners. “We can begin the last dance now?” Emily asks, excited. Daud smiles fondly at her. “Yes, Emily.”

Emily happily announces that the dance is going to begin, and the nobles clear space in the middle of the room for the dancers. Emily hauls Alexi to the middle and takes the lead, dancing happily. Corvo simply watches before Daud asks him, “Who were you planning on dancing with, exactly?” He can see over the large crowd of people, and he’s searching for whoever Corvo was supposed to dance with. That same hollow feeling in his chest feels like it crawls up his throat, and his jaw clenches for the second time that night.

“I was thinking of dancing with you, actually,” Corvo states, facing towards the crowd.

Oh.

Daud blinks, stunned by Corvo’s words. “Would you like to?”

Daud takes hold of Corvo’s wrist without thinking.

-

They end up in Emily’s office, next to the royal chambers. They can still hear the music from the throne room, and it becomes increasingly obvious for Corvo that someone must have noticed them slipping away from the party. Corvo closes the door behind them and then faces Daud. “Now, about that dance.” Corvo steps forward, his hand catching Daud’s. He moves in closer now, and Daud laces their hands together. Daud’s other hand hesitates, not knowing where to go. Corvo guides it to his shoulder and then places his own hand on Daud’s back. They’re pressed close together, and Daud lets out a shaky breath.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” he says, shaking.

Corvo beams at him and leans in. “It’s fine, Daud. Just follow my lead,” he whispers. Corvo lets them sway together with the music and then leads Daud in an easy dance. Daud is looking down at their feet, watching his step. Corvo chuckles at Daud’s carefulness, and it doesn’t take a long time for their movements to go with the music downstairs. The dance takes them around the room, and Daud looks like he’s beginning to get the hang of it.

Once the music ends, the two men are left in each other’s arms, hands interlocked.

(Their faces are so close-)

Corvo tilts his head down, and Daud’s eyes move up and down his face, illuminated by the moonlight.

Daud meets him in the middle.

-

Emily is eighteen, and she knows that her father and Daud are involved. More often than not, she’d walk by her father’s office, where she’d hear their hushed whispers. There are snippets of their conversations that confirm their relationship, and it’s not the idea of Corvo moving on from her mother that bothers her. It’s the idea that it’s Corvo–and Daud.

Trusting Daud did not come easily, but he was good at his job, and he proved to genuinely care for her and her father. Her curiosity gets the best of her one day, and she knocks on the door to her father’s office. He lets her inside, and she takes a seat in the chair across from his desk. “Father,” she says simply. Corvo leans on his desk, arms crossed. “I heard that you and Daud are an item.” Corvo goes to open his mouth and say something when a knock comes from the window. Emily sees Feodor there, and he waves, smiling. Corvo opens the window, and Feodor hands him an envelope. “From Daud,” he says, before vanishing.

Corvo’s face is red from embarrassment. “Should I take my leave?” Emily raises an eyebrow at him, face blank. “No, no, just,” Corvo starts muttering. “Daud and I were going to actually tell you together actually. Seems like that plan was foiled.” Corvo lets out a small laugh at that. Emily stands up from the chair, brushing herself off. “You love him,” she says pointedly. There’s a smile on Corvo’s face as he opens the envelope. “Of course I do, Em,” he says easily. “But nothing’s going to change how much I loved your mother.”

Emily bobs her head. “If he does anything…”

  
“And he won’t, Emily. Do you really think that we’d be in this situation if we didn’t trust each other?” Emily rolls her eyes.

“Of course not.”

-

Emily is in her mid-twenties when something horrible happens to them. Daud could not believe his eyes when Delilah steps out into full view. His hand immediately goes to his sword, but the next few minutes are a blur to him.

The last thing he remembers doing is pulling Emily close to him, while Delilah turns Corvo to stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: http://chenkin-nuggets.tumblr.com/


	2. Karnaca

Thomas finds out about the coup almost too late. He manages to get Alexi to hide somewhere Ramsey’s men won’t find her and gets some of the Whalers to get to the docks where he knows she would be waiting. He also gets to Curnow before the clockwork soldiers do, which he is thankful for. A small group of three Whalers get caught by the witches that followed the Duke of Serkonos and Delilah. They die fighting before the witches could interrogate them about the whereabouts of Daud. Thomas remembers their names clearly and moves their bodies elsewhere.

Nicholas, Tynan, and Desmond, Thomas recalls. He gently sets them on a rooftop, against a wall, and transverses away. The rats wouldn’t get to them, he made sure of it. He makes his way all the way back to the Tower and finds the window to Emily’s office, where Emily and Daud are both unconscious, crumpled on the floor in two heaps. Ramsey must’ve done a number on them, Thomas assumes. He opens the window and slips inside. He shakes Emily and Daud awake, hasty and quick. Emily awakens first, groggy and confused. Daud gets up later when he feels one of Thomas’s rats poking at his face. Thomas chuckles, and picks the rat up, letting it crawl up the sleeve of his shirt, up to his shoulder. It nuzzles into his neck and stays there. Thomas’s hand flashes and Emily looks confused.

Daud rolls his eyes and picks himself up from the ground. He flexes his left hand out of habit, but his Mark is gone, taken from him by Delilah. Daud curses while Thomas helps Emily off of the floor. “The rat tell me Ramsey’s taken Emily’s ring. We should probably get that back,” Thomas says, and Emily peers at Thomas’s hand.

“I didn’t know you were Marked, Thomas,” she mumbles, looking at him.

Thomas gives her a soft smile, and explains, “I’ve been Marked since I was a boy. My powers are much like your father’s and Daud’s, but I can control the rats and speak with them.” The rat on Thomas’s shoulder cries out as if to say ‘hurry up!’ and Thomas leads them out from the window.

“There’s a captain by the docks,” Thomas explains to them, “she’s waiting for us. I’ve taken some Whalers there to hide. The others have scattered enough that they wouldn’t be tracked.”

Daud nods, understanding. They get through the open window of Emily’s bedroom and find dead guards scattered throughout the halls. Emily’s face turns grim, and she moves to examine a body where Corvo’s folding sword lies nearby. “They killed all of them,” she whispers, “but we don’t have to.” She lets the mechanism of the sword close, the blade returning back to its hilt. She turns with the sword in hand, about to hand it to Daud. “No, Emily,” he says. “He’d want you to have it.” He pushes it towards her, and she nods slowly.

Ramsey’s voice begins to come from the downstairs waiting room behind the throne. “Hide, quickly,” Daud whispers. Thomas transverses away, and Emily hides in another room, quick and quiet. Daud sneaks into the bathroom and looks out through the keyhole. Ramsey gets close and Daud bursts through the door and wraps his arms around Ramsey’s throat. He passes out right when Emily leaves her hiding place. She fishes her ring from Ramsey’s pocket and walks back to her bedroom. “We don’t need to go through the safe room, Emily. I can probably transverse us out of here,” Thomas informs her, but Emily is already opening up the secret passage. Before Thomas can say more, Emily is angrily dragging Ramsey into the safe room. Thomas and Daud watch as she drops him off on the stairs, not caring if he hits his head at all. She disappears into the safe room for a few minutes. She returns holding a pistol in one hand and a small carved boat in the other. “Are you ready to go?” Thomas asks her, and she tucks the pistol away. She and Daud take hold of Thomas’s arms, and they are gone in a flash.

-

Daud ends up getting briefed on the situation by an old friend—Billie Lurk. But she doesn’t call herself that so he won’t either, at least not when Emily’s involved. Meagan Foster. It feels different, but it suits her. Daud doesn’t call her Billie in front of Emily, only in front of the Whalers or in private. She leans over the side of the Dreadful Wale and watches the sea pass. “I know what you’re going to say, Daud,” she says without looking over her shoulder.

“And yet I still have nothing to tell you.”

Daud looks at her, staring too long at the missing arm, the missing eye. He stands beside her, watching the ocean, the night sky. Billie smokes a cigar, blowing smoke from her mouth. Daud wants to transverse away; he tries to but can’t. The Outsider’s power is no longer there—his Whalers are useless like this. He thinks of Thomas, remembers that maybe not all hope is lost. He’s still marked, even if he doesn’t have the Outsider’s interest anymore. He can’t arcane bond with anyone though, not like Daud can. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise though. “You don’t have your powers anymore,” Billie points out, still not turning towards him.

“No,” he hesitates. “I don’t.” Billie looks at his left hand, where the Mark of the Outsider is no longer present. Billie frowns at that, takes another drag of her cigar. They stand in silence for just a few minutes before Billie asks him, “What happened in Dunwall?”

Daud closes his eyes, exhales. “Delilah.”

Billie finally looks at him, eye wide, but Daud shakes his head.. “Sokolov found out about a conspiracy against the throne. It’s how he ended up getting kidnapped, but I never thought it involved Delilah.”

“Well,” Daud begins, “it did. She turned Corvo to stone, and she seemed much more powerful than before. Something’s changed.”

Billie huffed. “Probably has something to do with that conspiracy Sokolov learned about.” Daud agrees. They’d be in Serkonos soon though, and once they are, they will put a stop to whatever the Duke and Delilah were planning. It’s unlikely that Delilah would stop at just the throne of the Empire, she’d definitely want more. Daud steps away from the side of the ship, and Billie’s lips quirk up. She stomps the cigar out on the deck and pats Daud on the back. “Get some rest, old man. You’re gonna need it.”

-

Daud feels himself awaken suddenly as if the ship lurched to a stop. He slips out of bed and finds the door to his room locked tight. He groans, knowing exactly what’s happening. When he turns around, he sees the Void break a hole into the ship, the air screaming and howling. The Void is different from when he last was there, which was years ago. There are no broken pieces of Dunwall this time. Instead, it’s a mess of jagged black stone, some of which crumbles at the edges. Daud doesn’t even take three steps into the Void for him to feel the Outsider’s presence. Daud scowls. “Where are you, damned black-eyed bastard?”

There’s a shift in the Void, and the Outsider stands in front of Daud, an amused smirk on his face. “Daud,” he says in a slow drawl, “well isn’t this just fascinating?” Daud could only try not to roll his eyes. He hates that word. The Outsider vanishes and reappears next to the Void’s recreation of Corvo, turned to stone. Daud feels an ache in his chest, seeing the man he loves in such a state. “Corvo sacrificed himself so you and Emily could get away—but he couldn’t have known that you would lose your mark, or that Emily would be marked in your stead.”

“You marked her?” The Outsider nods immediately, smile widening. “I did, but that’s not why I came to you.” He pauses, before saying, “You want to save him, and stop Delilah once and for all. I’m offering you a chance to. So what do you say, old friend?”

-

Daud walks up to the deck of the ship, the Mark of the Outsider burned into his left hand. The Whalers who joined them on the voyage to Serkonos don’t question how he suddenly got it back, and Thomas waves him over once he’s in sight. “Here are the few that I managed to get out,” he gestures to the group of Whalers standing around the Dreadful Wale. Daud spots Quinn quickly, her being the shortest person on the boat, and her curly black hair moving in the wind. Rulfio and Rinaldo are looking out at the ocean, smiling and laughing about some kind of inside joke between them. Montgomery is polishing his sword, and Misha is tying their hair next to him. Meanwhile, Feodor is fussing over Billie and her missing arm and eye, yelling about infection and how her health has been for the last fifteen years. “Cleon’s steering the ship right now, and I think Killian is asleep.” Thomas points to where Cleon is standing with Billie upstairs. “And of course, my little friend is here.” The small white rat sitting on Thomas’s shoulder squeaks and nuzzles into the warmth of his neck. Thomas has never given the thing a name though. Daud nearly asks but Thomas looks away from him, staring off into the distance.

“Do you worry about him?” Daud asks instead, stepping into Thomas’s field of vision. Thomas flinches backward, face flushing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Captain Curnow. You must wonder how he’s doing,” Daud says, and Thomas pouts. “I know he’s safe, but I promised to write once we get to Karnaca.” It was useful to have some allies remaining in Dunwall. They’d help when the time came to rise up against Delilah and her coven. There was Curnow and Alexi, who he knows still reside in Dunwall. He thinks that maybe Slackjaw is still staying at Brigmore Manor, but he hasn’t followed him as closely as Corvo had. There were also the Whalers that stayed behind when they had to leave. Daud hopes he can still contact them, that the sudden loss of their powers didn’t put them in harm’s way, but he wouldn’t know for a while.

Emily eventually finds her way up, squinting at the bright sunlight streaming down. She yawns and blinks a few times to get her eyes to adjust before she walks to where Daud and Thomas are standing. “Good morning,” Emily greets, stretching her arms above her head.

“It’s afternoon actually,” Thomas teases, and Emily tries to punch his arm in retaliation. He transverses away too fast and playfully messes with her hair. “Thomas!” She shouts, gaining the attention of the other Whalers. Thomas laughs, letting her go. Daud rolls his eyes, which he notices he does a lot lately, and yet he still watches the display with a fond smile. They really are like his own children.

Cleon shouts from above them, and Rulfio and Rinaldo race to the side of the ship, leaning to see Karnaca appear over the horizon. “The Jewel of the South,” Daud whispers to himself. The city is beautiful from where the ship is, large and carved into the bay, but Daud knows better than to expect it to stay that way. There are things in Karnaca which the nobles and the rich don’t see--the dark corners and alleyways that could lead you to your deaths, even the workers dying and struggling to survive in the mines, dust blowing into the districts. Daud can remember the time he spent in Karnaca too, it wasn’t long but he can recall the gangs that ruled the streets and the workers that just wanted to get by.

Emily takes out her spyglass and looks at the city. Karnaca is definitely much more beautiful than Dunwall, but that doesn’t mean that those who rule it are any less horrible. He, Emily, the Whalers, even Billie, know that Duke Luca Abele is nothing like how his father was. Theodanis was generous and caring, always willing to help, but Luca is an entirely different person. He’s greedy, violent, not unlike some of the nobles that Daud has had to deal with in Dunwall. Billie shouts from above: “Be ready, everyone! We’ll be stopping soon.”

-

They do stop very shortly after that, and the Whalers all gather on the deck of the ship- both to be told what they’re to do and also to get their arcane bond back. Quinn and Killian smile widely when they feel the magic of the Void course through their veins. They get a feel for their powers, even though it had barely been a day since they lost them. As they do, Emily shows off whatever gifts the Outsider had given her. She can only far reach so much before she needs to take a break. Eventually they might find some bone charms that can help with that, but for now, they surround a table where Billie lays out a map of Karnaca. She points out the Addermire Institute on the map. “When Sokolov was taken from the ship by the Crown Killer, I followed for as long as I could. Turns out they were headed to Addermire, run by Alexandria Hypatia. The Duke might be using a patient there for these killings.”

“We can kill two birds with one stone,” Emily says. “Eliminate the Crown Killer while also finding out where Sokolov is being kept.”

Feodor raises his hand, and Billie motions at him to speak.

“I believe I can probably be useful in infiltrating Addermire Institute. Although, I may be in need of some assistance in taking out the guards.”

Feodor meets eyes with Misha, who smirks back in agreement. Daud and Billie know how well Misha and Feodor work together, so they nod along. Daud looks down at the map, and points to the Batista District circled in ink. “What’s going on there?” He asks curiously. Billie taps the map with a finger and explains.

“The district’s caught in a war between the Overseers and the resident gang here in Karnaca, the Howlers. Both want control over it, but I’m not entirely sure if we could do anything there without choosing one side over the other. There have been rumors that the leader of the Howlers has some kind of black magic charm too.”

The thought of a gang leader having black magic piques Daud’s interest. He’ll see to Paolo himself. He’ll need the other Whalers with him obviously, but he’s almost sure they won’t need to fight anyone.

“Besides that,” Billie continues, “we might be here for a while. I can’t keep you all on the ship, so you’ll need to find somewhere to stay that isn’t here.”

Quinn shouts a quick ‘I’m on it!’ and Daud makes a mental list of which Whalers are going where. Feodor and Misha (and most likely Emily as well) are going to Addermire Institute, Quinn is probably going to take Cleon and Killian to find themselves a place to stay, so Daud is going to take whoever is left to meet the Howlers’ leader. Seems that would mean he will be taking Montgomery, Thomas, Rulfio, and Rinaldo.

“I assume that we’re done here?” Daud looks over everyone, and Billie mutters something about getting the skiff ready. She’ll be dropping Feodor, Misha, and Emily off at the Campo Seta Dockyards first, and then come back to the Dreadful Wale to get the rest of them to the Batista District.

This is going to take a long time, Daud realizes.

-

Quinn, Killian, and Cleon separate from Daud’s group when they make it to Batista, which they find to now be known as the Dust District because of the dust storms coming in from the silver mines. Quinn leads them through a few alleys and streets before someone shouts at them from overhead. “Hey there!” Killian’s hand goes to the sword strapped at their side, and Quinn and Cleon look up. They see a woman at a balcony above, blonde, kind of thin, has tattoos, accompanied by two others. “You new in town?” She shouts.

Quinn cups her hands around her mouth. “Yeah! We’re lookin’ for a place where we, and a whole bunch of others, can stay for a bit! Can you help us out?” The woman smiles, and it doesn’t take long for her to head down to where she, Killian, and Cleon are. The woman holds a hand out, and Quinn shakes it. “Mindy Blanchard. If you follow me, I can probably help you out,” the woman- Mindy- tells them.

She begins walking, and the group of Whalers follow her back in the direction they came. “My name’s Quinn, by the way,” Quinn squeaks out, “these are my friends Cleon and Killian.”

“The name suits you.” And Mindy gives Quinn a friendly smile.

-

Thomas could not believe this. Using his powers isn’t an option. Not when he, Montgomery, and Rinaldo are being held in an open area, surrounded by several gang members. They’re tied to chairs, right in front of a stage where two Howlers are playing some music, while another two dance together. Montgomery struggles, trying to break out of the rope binding his arms and legs to the chair. “We really can’t use our powers?” Montgomery whispers, letting the arcane bond flare just a little bit. Thomas shakes his head.

“Either way,” Rinaldo whispers back, “Daud’ll come and find us. He’s probably on his way right now with Rulfio.” Montgomery stops struggling, but then asks Thomas:

“Isn’t your little rat buddy here? Can’t it bite through the ropes?”

Thomas considers it and the Mark of the Outsider flashes on his hand. A white rat crawls out from his jacket pocket. Thomas whispers to it, and it doesn’t take long for the rat to retreat down his arm and begin chewing on the ropes. “Is it doing it?” Rinaldo asks quietly, but Montgomery kicks him in the leg.

“Shut it, you’re gonna get us caught,” he whispers angrily. Rinaldo gives Montgomery an angry retort and Thomas rolls his eyes when they start to bicker with each other. The Howlers watch the two argue with amusement, and Thomas is relieved that they don’t try to come near them. “Someone’s coming,” Rinaldo tells Thomas, kicking him in the leg. Thomas stops the white rat from chewing on the rope. It swiftly runs up Thomas’s arm, back into its initial hiding place. Footsteps draw near to them, and the three Whalers look up to see Daud and Rulfio, striding towards them with someone else leading them. Thomas gives Daud a nervous smile when he and Rulfio stop in front of them. Daud crosses his arms, his face somewhere between amused and disappointed. “These are your men, I take it?” The leader of the Howlers says.

Daud sighs. “Sadly, yes. I thought I taught them better.”

Daud unsheathes the sword at his hip and slices open the bindings holding the captive Whalers to their chairs. Thomas lets out a happy sigh, rubbing at his wrists, where the rope had dug into his skin. “You two are friends now?” Montgomery asks Daud, who had walked over to where the Howlers’ leader now stood behind the bar. He shrugs. “Only if Daud here keeps his part of the deal.”

Rinaldo glares at Daud. “We make deals with gang leaders now?”

The man at the bar clears his throat. “This gang leader has a name, you know. And I bet you do too.”

He and Rinaldo met eyes.

“The name’s Paolo. What about you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: chenkin-nuggets
> 
> idk about you but......i love Paolo and Mindy so much. u can bet there are gonna be some Howler/Whaler shenanigans in the future lmao i love them. im all here for the Howlers and Whalers having a love/hate relationship too so (eye emojis)


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